Sara Froese Berg (1893-1979) had an unfulfilled dream to receive an education. This dream was fulfilled as granddaughter Geraldine Balzer and great-granddaughters Kerstin and Alina graduated from the University of Waterloo and attended Grebel.
“My grandmother was an inspiring woman who loved to read and wanted nothing more than to go to school. However, her father believed six years in the village school was enough education for a girl. The Russian Revolution and the death of her parents and one brother meant my grandmother was the family matriarch before she was 25. She arrived in Canada in 1923 in the second group of Mennonite refugees from Ukraine and began work as a housekeeper on Saskatchewan farms. She taught herself to speak, read, and write English, married a widower with two children, and was widowed herself with two young children. In spite of her dire economic circumstances, she ensured that her children received a high school education at Rosthern Junior College. But her dream was that her grandchildren might have the resources to go to university,” Geraldine explained. “She was keen to hear about my experiences in Waterloo and often had an extra $5 or $10 to slip into my pocket. Unfortunately, she died before I completed my first degree, but I often imagine how proud she would be of me and my daughters who more than fulfilled her dream,” said Geraldine who lived at Grebel in the mid-70s, completed an MA in English from UWaterloo in 1983, and served on the Grebel board.
Geraldine and Gordon’s daughters came to Grebel from Saskatchewan. Alina Balzerson completed a BA in Music and Women’s Studies in 2012 and now works as a midwife. Kerstin Balzer-Peters finished a BA in Sexuality, Marriage & Family Studies in 2017 and works at ApplyBoard in Kitchener.
“We are pleased that our children have also contributed to this entry award, honouring their great-grandmother and recognizing the value of the Grebel experience,” added Geraldine. This endowed award will be for resident students identifying as female whose province of origin is west of Ontario.
